Featured
By Fabian Ogo
THE reality of climate change and its devastating impacts occasioned by rising sea levels, extreme temperatures and flooding has shown that a lot of effort is needed by the three tiers of government to live up to their responsibilities.
In many cities across the world, from Kenya to Brazil, Dubai and Lagos, the impact of flooding has been seen in the destruction of properties, loss of lives, displacement of peoples and sometimes habitat.
How prepared are the subnational governments in Nigeria in dealing with this challenge to mitigate impact of flooding?
According to the report by the National Bureau of Statistics, the 2022 floods that claimed hundreds of lives also caused about $9 billion in damages.
The assessment, conducted in collaboration with the World Bank, placed the cost of the destruction at the range of $3.79 billion to $9.12 billion.
The report called for early warning signs and flood insurance as part of efforts towards its mitigation.
Meanwhile, the Annual Flood Outlook (AFO) released by the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) have highlighted the potential for severe flooding from April to November 2024 across selected states in the country.
Some of the states, especially in Urban and coastal regions such as Adamawa, Bayelsa, Delta, Lagos, and Rivers have been shown to be particularly at risk..
And to address these risks, the government has taken several proactive measures:
Early Warnings and Communication: The Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation has notified state governors and relevant agencies about the expected flood levels.
Also, the National Economic Council has established an Ad-hoc Committee on Flood Mitigation, Adaptation, Preparedness, and Response.
The committee is charged with the responsibility for developing a comprehensive roadmap to enhance flood preparedness and response across the nation.
The NIHSA and the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, are also conducting aggressive sensitization and awareness campaigns to inform communities about flood risks and preparedness measures.
In most states of the federation, efforts are being made to maintain and clean waterways, improve waste disposal practices and desilt dams and rivers to reduce the impact of flooding.
However, experts believe that these measures are crucial to mitigating flood risks and enhancing water management for agriculture and food security.
For Lagos State, in particular, where flash floods have caused some level of devastation, especially when it rains for long hours, the government has shown great efforts in mitigating the impact.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu led the team of the state executive council on Sunday, July 14 for a tree planting exercise on Lagos Island as part of mitigation efforts against flooding in the state.
Sanwo-Olu also at another event carried out a public advocacy on the need for Lagosians to take ownership of the cleaning of the environment.
He advised Lagosians to cultivate the habit of proper waste management and the need to patronise the PSP operators in the waste management value chain.
The Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, said that the government was building resilient infrastructures and clearing of drainages as part of efforts to mitigate the impact of flooding.
Wahab embarked on massive campaigns against building on drainages and blocking channels for the discharge of water.
The ministry has also activated its Emergency Flood Abatement Gang, EFAG, to respond to emergencies arising from flash floods in the state.
For Prof. Chukwumerije Okereke, Director, Centre for Climate Change and Development, Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ebonyi State, Nigerian states should adopt measures to increase the resilience of their states to climate change.
“Several states across the country still do not have any coherent climate change policy or action plan.
“It is time that they begin to do so, under a range of different measures that the national and state governments can put in place simple drainage systems, better city management and the clearing of drainage systems.
“All of these can help to limit the impact of flooding and the devastation that it causes to citizens,” Okereke said.
The don, who is also the President, Society for Planet and Prosperity, SPP, said that SPP in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Environment, was organising a ranking and mapping of Nigerian states based on climate policy governance.
Okereke said that the ranking became necessary to encourage state governments to domesticate a robust climate governance policy in their states.
According to him, climate change is not just a simple marginal environmental problem; rather, it has wide scale economic impact requiring the collaboration of government at the national and subnational level to mitigate.
Overall, while significant risks remain, the combined efforts of federal, state, and local authorities, along with community engagement and improved infrastructure management would help to reduce the impact of flooding in Nigeria in 2024.
F.A
July 16, 2024
Tags:
